Pianist Vladimir Leyetchkiss will leave no key untouched April 19, 2009

Pianist Vladimir Leyetchkiss, one of the last pupils of the great Heinrich Neuhaus of the Moscow Conservatory will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at Chiesa Nuova in the West Loop, 230 S. Laflin, Chicago. The audience can experience the informal concert in a very intimate setting. It’s a rare chance to be just a few feet away from the guest artist.

The Franciscan performing arts ministry - Chiesa Nuova - presents performing arts events throughout the year for the community. In the past ten years, Chiesa Nuova has hosted more than 350 performing artists.

Leyetchkiss immigrated to the United States in 1974. He is known as a concert pianist, teacher and a transcriber, specializing in Russian and Romantic music. He has been out tour in Europe several times as well as served as a juror for many piano competitions. His recordings for Orion, Centaur, and Classic Digital include Beethoven's “Diabelli Variations”, and “Sonata Opus 109”, "Russian Virtuoso Piano Music", "Great Piano Transcriptions”, "Taneyev and Scriabin", "My Favorite Tchaikovsky" and others.

His transcriptions include a piano version of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring", published in Moscow and in New York.

Leyetchkiss has said he is trying to promote Russian music by composers such as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff. His favorite composer is whoever he is playing. He says it's impossible to play without love.

Tickets to Vladimir Leyetchkiss are $25 per person; $40 for two people. For tickets or more information, call 312-226-0983 or visit http://www.chiesanuova.org.